Ex-LFC academy graduate Kane Drummond and two of his former teammates punched, kicked and stamped on their victim outside Pizza King
A professional footballer has been given another chance by a judge after a birthday night out ended in drunken violence outside a takeaway. Former Liverpool FC academy graduate Kane Drummond, who is currently plying his trade for League Two side Oldham Athletic, and two of his former teammates punched, kicked and stamped on their victim as he lay stricken in the road, leaving him with a fractured spine.
But, having been given a suspended prison sentence over the incident in Liverpool city centre, the forward failed to complete any of his community service and was hauled back before the courts. However, having "shown an improved level of motivation" after being warned that he faced spending his summer behind bars, he was instead fined £50 today.
The ECHO previously reported that Shayan Lawrence visited Pizza King on Berry Street in order to purchase food on the evening of December 12 2022 before returning to his car, which was parked outside the premises. There, he found Drummond and his co-defendants Rio Merrifield and Leon Arnasalam standing beside his vehicle.
Helen Chenery, appearing for the prosecution on this occasion, described how the latter "made a joke about one of the defendants scratching his car", adding: "He was winding up the victim. Mr Lawrence must have thought he was being serious and confronted the males."
This led to the complainant pushing Merrifield to the floor before all three men were captured on CCTV punching and kicking him to the ground, continuing to rain down blows and stamp on him in the middle of the road after he had fallen to the ground. Ms Chenery added: "Two of the defendants leave for a few seconds before returning to carry on the assault. At least one of the defendants lost his shoe during the course of the incident and went to retrieve it before carrying on the assault."
Members of the public then intervened, at which stage Mr Lawrence sought assistance from staff at the nearby Red Door bar. He was said to have sustained a spinal fracture, as well as "contusions and bleeding" to the face, and left wearing a neck brace following the attack.
Images of the suspects were subsequently circulated by Merseyside Police, after which one officer recognised Arnasalam as being a Macclesfield footballer. Under interview in April 2023, he told detectives that he had been out in the city centre celebrating his birthday, with the three having "known each other from playing semi professional football."
Arnasalam, of Maitland Close in Toxteth, went on to detail how matters "escalated" following his comment regarding the car, after which he accepted kicking and stamping on Mr Lawrence. Police were then able to identify Drummond and Merrifield after examining the 27-year-old’s phone, although both remained silent when belatedly questioned in February 2024.
But all three later admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, with Drummond, formerly of Mozart Close in Toxteth, handed a 20-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months in May 2025. This saw the 25-year-old, who was released from LFC aged 16 before joining the Robbie Fowler Academy, Warrington Rylands, Macclesfield and Chesterfield, told to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
Kane Drummond outside Liverpool Crown Court
Kane Drummond outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
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However, Drummond was brought back before Liverpool Crown Court in February, having breached the terms of his suspended sentence after failing to attend any of his unpaid work sessions. With his own counsel having remarked that he "may well be spending the summer break in jail", Judge Sarah O’Brien agreed to adjourn proceedings until today’s date in order to show compliance in the interim, after which he was seen sprinting out of the building with his jacket over his head.
But Olivia Belle, representing the Probation Service, told the court this morning that Drummond, now of Highmarsh Crescent in Newton-le-Willows, had since completed 52 of his unpaid work hours, adding: "In short, your honour, this defendant, since the last occasion, has in fact attended unpaid work on every occasion. There was only one occasion where he did not attend, but that was not Mr Drummond's fault. It was rescheduled due to a work service issue on that date.
"Although he has initially expressed frustrations, he has since worked collaboratively with the probation officer. Probation take the view that he has shown an improved level of motivation. I would invite your honour to mark the breach by way of a financial penalty."
Kane Drummond outside Liverpool Crown Court
Kane Drummond outside Liverpool Crown Court
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Paul Becker, defending, meanwhile said on Drummond's behalf: "I am sure that your honour is delighted to see an improvement. It has been a difficult time in his life. Your honour is aware that he is a professional footballer. He has had a very busy period playing for his club.
"Also, very sadly, his father passed away in February, and the defendant was left with the expense of the funeral. In the last few weeks, he and his partner have had their first child.
"He is not a high earner. He plays for Oldham Athletic Football Club. I would ask your honour to give him some time to pay any fine. Although there has been a marked improvement, that has to be continued until the order is completed."
Drummond was ultimately handed a fine of £50 for breaching his suspended sentence, a sum which he must pay within 28 days or face seven days in prison in default. Judge O’Brien told Drummond: "I am very pleased that you have got on with the unpaid work. Nobody wants this order to be activated. Please carry on the way that you have been doing."
Kane Drummond outside Liverpool Crown Court
Kane Drummond outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
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Arnasalam, whose career has seen him appear for the likes of South Liverpool, Stalybridge Celtic and Clitheroe, having previously been labelled a "fan favourite" at Macclesfield, was similarly handed a 20-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months with 200 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days. He pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Merrifield, of Wynnstay Street in Toxteth, also admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm. The 24-year-old, who has represented clubs including South Liverpool and Burscough as a footballer, received two years suspended for 18 months, 250 hours of unpaid work and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Both Drummond and Merrifield later posed for a picture for one of their supporters on Derby Square after leaving the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts following last year’s court appearance, with the former seen crossing his arms and smiling in celebration. Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC told them on this date: "This offence is serious, and the circumstances in which it was committed are outrageous.
Rio Merrifield and Kane Drummond pose for a picture outside Liverpool Crown Court
Rio Merrifield and Kane Drummond pose for a picture outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
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"There was no good reason at all for you to behave in that way. I suspect that the main cause was some sort of feeling of disrespect, combined with the quantities of alcohol each of you had consumed.
"All of this ought to have been no more than simply a straightforward argument between you. Mr Lawrence, it seems, reacted towards what you were doing and your daft behaviour and challenged you.
"That led to arguing and pushing and shoving. That ought to have been an end to the matter. Sadly, it was not. Quickly, it escalated to serious violence and and all three of you laying into Mr Lawrence.
"This was outrageous public disorder involving serious violence in the city centre at night time, which, frankly, cannot be tolerated. There is no evidence that he sustained any long term damage to his spine. The situation could have been very different indeed.
"Typically, unprovoked violence at this level of ferocity will result in an immediate term of imprisonment. In each of your cases, you were relatively young at the time. There has been a significant delay in the prosecution of this matter. Part of that delay was caused by the fact that all three of you walked away from the scene, and it took a while for the police to identify the three of you."